


I'll Miss You

by danrdarrenc



Category: Days of Our Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 10:47:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2226240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danrdarrenc/pseuds/danrdarrenc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will and Sonny take Arianna to college.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Miss You

The car ride from Salem to Chicago was silent, but not unpeacefully so. Will, Sonny, and Arianna were each deep in their own thoughts - Will and Sonny both no doubt sad but happy that their little girl was leaving them, Arianna excited yet nervous to be starting college. The music of the stereo was a welcome noise, grounding them in their musings and making it not uncomfortable for them to not be talking.

After nearly four hours of only little snippets of conversations (“You’re sure you have everything?” “I have to pee.” “I’m hungry, Daddy.”), Will finally broke the silence.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He glanced into the rearview mirror to gauge Ari’s reaction.  
"I’m sure, Daddy." She smiled a little. 

"We could always turn around and enroll you at Salem U."

"Daddy, we’ve been through this. I want to go to Northwestern."

Will pouted and Sonny chuckled a little.

"I’ll only be a train ride away. And I’m sure Uncle Johnny would be happy to send a private DiMera jet for me."

"Okay. Okay. You win. Northwestern it is."

"That’s good, considering we’re here," Sonny interjected, pointing at the sign indicating the college was at the next exit.

The car lapsed back into the silence, only the music filtering softly out of the stereo providing noise, as Will turned off the main highway and followed the signs towards the campus.

After being directed to the sign-in booth and then Arianna’s dorm, Will parked the car in the nearest parking lot and turned off the ignition. 

Arianna hopped out of the car, her computer and duffel bag on her shoulder, and hurried inside the dorm building to scope out her room. 

Will and Sonny each slid out of the care more slowly, Will with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You okay?" Sonny asked as they met behind the car, in front of the now open trunk.

"Yeah."

"You know, you always were a bad liar," Sonny said, gently placing his hand on Will’s lower back like he always did for comfort.

Will just gave him a tiny smile and responded, “We should start bringing some of this stuff inside.” He grabbed her mattress pad and a couple pillows, while Sonny pulled her suitcase and a bag of books out. Together they walked inside to find Ari’s room.

When they finally tracked her down, she was already in an animated discussion with a girl her age who was presumably her roommate.

"Daddy! Papa! This is Cleotina, my roommate." She grinned at them from ear-to-ear.

"Nice to meet you, Cleotina," Sonny said first, the stuff he was carrying more readily disposable than Will’s handful. He dropped the books on the bed and let go of the suitcase to hold out his hand.

"It’s just Cleo," Cleo answered, but shook Sonny’s hand, then Will’s once it was offered. "And since all of my stuff is in here, I’ll get out of your way." She grabbed her purse, told Arianna they’d talk later, and left the room.

Three trips to the car and back again, all of Arianna’s stuff was piled onto her side in the tiny dorm room she would occupy for the year. The quiet pensiveness between the three of them that had pervaded the car remained as they collectively unpacked Arianna’s things, rearranged her furniture, and slowly made her space livable and as home-like as possible.

Five hours later, Will, Sonny, and Arianna all stood outside of the car, putting off goodbyes. 

"I want you to call me every day for the next couple of days. Tell me how you’re doing. How your classes are. If kids are being mean to you," Will said, his hands on Ari’s shoulders.

"Daddy," Arianna huffed but her lips turned up into a little smile. "I promise I’ll call you every day for the next few days. But after that, I’m only going to call every other day." She fixed him with a stare that was so distinctly his own and a fierceness that was his mother’s that he couldn’t do anything but agree to her terms.

"Alright. But just know that you’re leaving me all alone," Will half-joked.

"I’m not leaving you alone, Daddy. You have Papa and you have the twins. In fact, you’ll probably be so busy trying to keep the twins from killing each other over who gets my room that you won’t even miss me." She flashed him a huge smile.

Will smiled back and enveloped her in a tight embrace. “I will miss you so much, Little Lady,” Will said into her hair. 

"I’ll miss you too, Daddy." She briefly snuggled into his chest like she used to when she was a baby.

Will kissed the top of her head and broke away to let her say goodbye to Sonny.

"You can call me too, you know," Sonny said. She nodded. "I want you to remember to be careful and study hard. But have fun too. Make friends. Enjoy your classes."

"I will, Papa. I promise."

"I love you," Sonny said as Ari stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug.

"I love you too, Papa," Ari responded. "Take care of Daddy," she whispered into his ear. "Make sure he doesn’t miss me too much."

"I will," Sonny whispered back before kissing her hair.

They broke apart and she gave Will another quick hug before turning around and heading back towards the dorm. She waved at them once and then disappeared inside.

Will and Sonny smiled sadly at each other and then slipped into the car. When they got home four hours later, they fell asleep on the couch together, a photo album of pictures of Arianna growing up nestled between them.


End file.
